Clothespin



March 25, 1924.` 1,488,382

R. O. CRCW CLOTHES PIN Filed March 16. 1922 'Enh EPT ttl-FDW attenua? Patented Mar. 25, 1924.

UNTE STATES ROBERT o. cnow, or eornsnono, NORTH CAROLINA.

CLOTHESPIN.

Application filed March 16, 1922. Serial No. 544,197.

To all whom t may con-cern.' p

Be it known that I, ROBERT O. CROW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Goldsboro, in the county of Wayne and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Clothespins, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in clothes pins.

The primary object' of the invention is the provision of a relatively simple clothes pin, preferably formed of a strand of wire bent to provide a plurality of line engaging'arms which are arranged in novel manner for cooperation with a line, whereby articles may be suspended therefrom without liability of accidental detachment, and without the unnecessary wear and liability of tearing of the article suspended, such as is apt to occur with the ordinary types of clothes pins embodying clamping jaws.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel type of clothes pin, susceptible of attachment to a line, that the same may remain thereon independent of its supporting an article from said line.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved clothes pin of the above mentioned character, which is designed to facilitate ease of attachment to a line, and which may be easily detached from the line.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved clothes pin, showing the manner in which an operator attaches the same to a line.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the improved clothes pin, showing the association of parts thereof.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the improved clothes pin, showing the .cooperative association of the line engaging arms thereon.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the letter A designates a. clothes supporting line of any character, with which the improved clothes pin B 1s to be associated in the suspension of clothes and other articles.

The line A, may be of rope or wire, suiteo spring wire, bent intermediate its ends to es provide small and relatively larger U-shaped portions 10 and 11 respectively, lying in the same general plane. The relatively small U-shaped portion 10 is provided with the bight portion 12 having thespring arms 70 13 and 14 depending therefrom,preferably in parallel relation. Tt is preferred that the relatively larger U-shaped part 11 comprise the bight portion 15 and the depend ing spring arms 16 andv 17 preferably eX- 76 tending in parallel relation. The U-shaped portions 10 and 11 differ in dimensions both with respect to the spacing` of the spring arms thereon, and with respect to the height of said spring arms. Thus, the arms 13 and so 14 of the part 10 are spaced for a less distance than the arms 16 and 17 of the portion 11. Likewise, the height of the spring arms 13 and 14 is less than the height of.J

the arms 16 and 17. The portions 10 and 11 se are so related, that the spring arms 14 and 16 lie in abutting relation so that said arms 14 and 16, in fact, form but a single spring arm for` the improved clothes pin B, as can readily be seen from Figures 1 and 2 of thev 90 drawing. Thus, the outwardly extending spring arms 13 and 17 of the portions 10 and 11 respectively form the outer arms of the improved clothes pin B, while the abutting arms 14 and 15 form but an intermedig5 ate arm for the clothes pin B.

In order that the end and intermediate arms of the improved pin B may suitably engage the line A, it is preferred that the end arms 13 rand 17 be provided with the 190 line receiving crimps 18 and 19 respectively, preferably extending outwardly in the same direction from the plane of the clothes pin B. On the other hand,r the intermediate arm formed by the abutting portions of .105

the U-shaped parts 10 and 11 is provided with a crimp 20, which extends outwardly from the plane of the pin B, directly opposite to the extension of the crimps 118 and 19 above noted. The extreme lower end no 21 of this intermediate arm is, of course, rounded, due to the fact that this is the mediate arm.

juncture point of the U-shaped parts 10 and 11 of the pin B. 0n the other hand, it is preferred that the extreme ends 22 and 23 of the outwardly extending end arms 13 and 17 be rounded, as by looping these extreme ends upwardly, so that the marginal. edge 24 of each of Vthese end arms may engage the convex side of their respective arm crimps. F rom this 'relation of the crimping of the end and intermediate arm portions of the clothes pin B, it can readilyV be seen that the end arms 13 and 17 of the improved clothes pin are crimped in oppositely extending manner with respect to the intermediate arm.

In the application of the improved pin B to the line A, it is to be noted that the pin B is to be so positioned thereon that the line A engages in the concaved sides of the crimps 18, 19 and 20. This result is edected by the operator first grasping the pin B by the thumb and index finger engaging t e abutting arms 14: and 16, just below the bight portion 12. ln this relation, the larger tl-shaped portion 11 is disposed within the hand of the user, just below the palm, as can be seen in Figure of the drawing. The lirst operation which is that oi straddling the relatively small U-shaped portion 10 over the line A, so that the con caved sides ot the crimps 18 and 20 may engage opposite sides ot the line A. The end and intermediate arms are of spring material, and of course, will lex. By an angular movement oi the hand, the operator then swings the pin B sothat the concaved surface of the crimp 19 will engage the same side of the line A., as the crimp 18 above noted. 1n this manner, the end spring arms 13 and 17 will engage the line A upon one longitudinal side thereo'r, while the intermediate arm defined by the portions 14 and 16 engages the opposite side of the line A. Oi' course, the concaved sides of the crimps 18, 19 and 20, engage the lines A. The spacing of the relatively longer end spring arm 17 tor a iarthcr distance witn res ect to the intermediate arm than the other end arm 13 is spaced, is provided, so that the operator may apply the clothes pin B to the line A with but little exertion. in other words, the end arm 18 and the intermediate arm having engaged the clothes line A, the other spring arm 17 may be applied with but little angular movement, due to the distance which the same is spaced from the inter By reason or" this arrangement, the clothes pin B will be tensioned sufficiently to hold the same on the line A.. lt is to be noted that the concavities formed by the crimps-18, 19 and 20, are not in alignment, in so far as the'plane of the pin Bis concerned, and which can readily be determined 'from Figure 3 of the drawings. By reason oi? this arrangement, it is abso- Lacasse lutely necessary that the operator relatively flex the end and intermediate spring arms, in order to secure the attachment o .the saine to the line A for holding an article.

By means ot the improved pin B, an

1. As an article of manufacture, a clothes pin having spring arms extending to` provide end arms and an intermediate arm, said intermediate arm being disposedynearer to one of said end arms than the kother end arm.

2. Asan article ot manufacture, a clothes pin formed of spring material bent to provide a plurality ot outwardly extending arms to provide end arms and an interme-V diate arm, said arms extending 1n parallel relation and having said intermediate arm disposed nearer to one of said end arms than with respect to the other.

3. As an article of manufacture, a wire clothes pin formed ot a single strand of materia-l bent intermediate its ends to provide a pair of U-shaped portions or' unequal dimensions each having a pair ot depending arms spaced at unequal distances, Vsaid. U- shaped portions so forming said pin as to have an arm of each in abutting relation to provide an intermediate line engaging arm having end arms upon each side thereof.

4. As an article ot manufacture, a clothes pin of spring wire material bent to provide a plurality of outwardly extending arms in substantially the same plane, each oi said arms having a line engaging crimp formed thereon adjacent its outer end, said crimps being bent in the same direction only upon alternate arms.

' 5. As an article of manufacture, a clothes pin of Wire material bent intermediate its ends to provide a pair of U-shaped portions each including a pair of outwardly extending arms, said arms being crimpedadjacent their outer ends tor line receiving purposes, adj acently positioned arms being crimped in oppositely extending manner.

6. fis an article of manufacture, a clothes pin formed of Wire material bent toV provide a plurality of spring arms extending in substantially parallel relation in the same direction, said arms being bent adjacent their outer ends to provide arcuate crimps for line receiving purposes, said crimps upon adjacent arms being bent in oppositely extending manner, said arms upon their extreme outer ends being loopedto engage the convex sides of said crimps.

7 As an article of manufacture, a clothes pin formed of a single strand of spring Wire bent intermediate its ends to provide relatively small and larger U-shaped portions, each including arms and a bight portion 10 connecting said arms, said U-shaped portions having an arm of each lying in abutting relation to have said U-shaped portions extending substantially in a common plane, and whereby the arms thereof extend outwardly in parallel relation, said arms being crimped adjacent their outer ends in arcuate manner, whereby adjacent arms of said pin will be crimped n opposite manner for 11ne engaging purposes.

ROBERT 0. CROW. 

